Multiple-outlet socket



July 14, 1925.

G. F. SMALLWOOD MULTIPLE OUTLET SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1922 July 14, 1925. 1,546,148

- GMF. SMALLWQOD MULTIPLE OUTLET SOCKET Filed Dec. 26. 1922. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i in k atenteal duly 14, 1225.

entran- .IS T T aster Fl E.

application filed December 26, 1922. Serial- Ifo- $13,855.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \GROVER F SMALL- met, a citizen of .the United States, and

resident of Kansas City, county of'VVyandotte, State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Muling devices maybe conveniently attached to such outlet terminals for independently tapping the current without interference between the branch circuits thus established.

" vention will now be described by. reference -at the opposite end of said member 10, one form of construction which I have de-- 4 same;

tiple-Outlet Sockets, of which the following is a complete specification. v a The present invention relates toelectrical cpnnections, and particularly to socket fit-' tings providing terminal connections tween a source of current and electrical de? vices to be energized therefrom, .the pri mary object of the inventionfbeing to devise an improved socket connection adapted to provide multiple outlet terminals so arranged as to afford independent circuit connections for tapping the'current and. there-- by feeding one or more electrical appliances designed to be actuated from the same source of power.

. To this end I have devised a socket structure having the usual terminals for connection with the mainflor' line wires and also with a lamp or other current translating device, and intermediate such terminals ar 'arrangeda'plurality of sets .of outlet terminals all connectedfiin parallel with the cirsuit conductors through the socket, so thata corresponding number of current-consum- With this general object in view, the into the accompanying drawings illustrating vised for embodying the eatures deemed to be novel will be particularly set forth and claimed. 7

In the drawings- Figures 1 and a socket device constructed in accordance with the ,present invention, the former'illustrating its use with an electric drop cord, and the lattershowing it attached to a wall bracket; j p v Figure 3 is a: plan view of the socket member; A

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the Fi the li zi es VV, VIVI and 'YII -VII, respectively, of Figure 3;

of terminal elements used *the plate 25' correspondingl 2 are elevations showing res 5', 6 and 7 are sections taken on Figure 8 is a section on the ,line VlII-Q VIII 'of'Figure 5;m d v v Figure .9 1s a perspective view of one set lateral outlet terminalsb Referring now to the drawings in detail,

.these illustrate the/improved device as comprising embody or socket member-10 'construoted of suitable I insulating material such as porcelain, at one end of which isv provided'an annular socket fittin 1 11 for making detachable connection in t e usual manner with the cap fitting 12 of .a dro 'cord'13, as illustrated in Figure 1, or wit tachable connection with the corresponding.

fitting of a current-consuming device, such as the socket 17 of an electric lamp 18. Both of the fittings 11 and 16 are formed with inwardly projecting attaching ears or lugs 20 received within suitable. recesses at the opposite ends of the socket member 10 d and connected by tie bolts 22 extending. through said member (see Figure 6).

Extending through the socket member 10 parallelto the bolts 22 are two other bolts .24 forming conducting elements or circuit connections between the opposite ends of said member, as illustrated in Figure 7. One end of each bolt 24 connects with a plate 25 arranged radially of one end face of the member 10, while the other end of each bolt 24. connects with a plate 26 to one bolt 24 being at the same end 0 the plate 26 corresponding to the other bolt 24, and 'said' plates 25 and 26 bemg approximately at right angles to each other (see Figures 3 and 4). Both of the plates 25 arfd 26 are provided with binding screws 100 27 for attachment of the res ective wire terminals, Figure 3showing t e terminals 28 within the socket fitting 11 for connection with the source of current, and Figure 4 showing the terminals 29 for completing 10 the circult through the electric dev1ce as the lamp 18) tobe connected with t e socket fitting 16.

To the inner end of each plate 25 1s at:

tached a screw 30 connectin each plate 25 1 with "a pair of terminal e ements 3 1 arranged in the form of a cross in similarly for forming the i450 'e member 10 as i shaped passages 32' provided in said socket memberlO, as clearly shown in the sectional Views of the drawings. The twosets of passages 32 and terminal elements 31 6 are arranged parallel and spaced apart a suitable distance to provide" a plurality of pairs of outlets orjzack openings at the side faces. of the member 10, each of the elements 31 terminating in spring contact 16 fingers 33 at the'mouths of the passages 32,

and hence accessible for cngagement"withthe jacks or terminals 3450f the plug 35 20 nected" in .parallehwith the feed circuit connections 28 which supply the current. It is therefore obvious that an operative Y feed'connection may be made'between an electrical appliance and any one of the pairs of outlet terminals 33, or a setof such a pliances may be connected with all of said terminals at one time, without any interference with each other or any interruption of the current through the lamp or I, 30 other device connectdwith the terminals 29, inasmuch as anindependent branch circuit is provided for each of the devices fed by the main or supply current, by means,

of the described multiple outletarrange ment. An example of one of the advantages of this structure is the fact that-where a lamp" is used, as illustrated, an electric. iron or other household appliance may beattached to one of the set'sflof terminals 33 Without afl'ecting the circuit through the lamp,'and the lattermay be turned on or oil as desired, by means of its switch 36. The construction is extremely, simple, and

the arrangement of the'circuit connections 1s such that'the device may be very economically manufacutred.

What I claim is A multiple outlet socket structure comprising a socket member having a socket at each of its ends and a pair of terminal "connections in each'of said sockets, con-- ductor elements providing separate circuitv paths through said member between said terminals, said memberbeingprovi'ded with parallel cross-shaped transverse passages open to the lateral faces of said member,

a pair of crossed terminal elements in each of said passages and retained therein by bolts connecting said terminal elements in parallel with said conductor elements, said terminal elements providing a series of lateral terminals accessible at the openings to said passages, and a pair of diagonally arranged tie bolts extending through said' socket member and securing the oppositely arranged sockets thereto.

In witness whereof signature.

GROVER F. SMALLWQOD.

I hereunto affix my 

